Comparison of aroma and aroma-active compounds of vacuum-packaged sous vide-cooked beef at different temperatures with grill-cooked meat

In this study, sous vide cooking and grilling were applied to beef loins and the effects of the processes on the aroma and aroma-active compounds of loins were investigated. The aromatic extracts of samples were obtained by means of solvent extraction under high vacuum (SAFE). Aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) was applied to determine the aroma-active compounds. A total of 33 compounds were identified in grilled beef with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) whereas the sous vide cooked samples at 60°C for 5 hours (SV60) had 33 and again sous vide cooked samples at 80°C for 5 hours had the highest number of aroma compunds of 34. Alcohols constituted the largest part of the volatile compounds in terms of number and quantity. 3-penten-2-ol and 2-hexanol were found to be predominant compounds in this group, while ketones were represented by 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (acetoin). According to the results of the olfactometric analysis, 14 compounds in SV60 sample, 16 in the grilled beef and 18 in the SV80 sample were determined. Among aroma-active compounds, the most potent aroma active compound was found as acetoin and it was determined that it gave fatty odor to cooked beef. This compound was followed by dimethyl sulfone, which is responsible for straw/smoky odor. In the study, the cooking loss and color changes of the cooked meats were also investigated, while the brightness and yellowness values increased, the redness value decreased with the cooking process. The most preferred cooking method was SV80 as a result of sensory analysis of the samples.